At 21 Brian Frazer faced what no parent
should have to, the loss of a child. What's worse, Brian
made the decision to give up his
child for adoption. With
the death of his beloved wife, this young father could not come
to terms with single parenting, and being so young, his mind
was on his schooling. So "baby Frazer" is given up
to the loving Springs, who name him Ian, and Brian presses on
with his education, Now, 13 years later, Brian is forced to
relive the most painful day in his life when he receives a letter
stating that both of the people who had adopted his son are
now dead and his own son is being sent to Boddinick Village
in Cornwall England to live with adoptive family he's never
met. Over the years Brian has managed to keep tabs on Ian through
a private detective and it's this detective who brings Brian
the bad news. After 13 years, Brian has made a name in family
psychology. If it were to become public knowledge that he gave
his own son up for adoption his career could be ruined. But
Brian's curiosity gets the best of him and he finds himself
flying from California to Cornwall to look in on Ian to be sure
that the new family is treating him well. He's not prepared
for what he finds once he arrives…a sad and troubled boy
who's having a difficult time being accepted by a family who
considers him an outsider, and Jade, Ian's new cousin and the
woman who's been hired to redecorate the cottage that he's rented.
Jade Perron is co-owner with her father of
Perron and Son, the local contracting company. While Jade's
brother actually has no hand in the business, Jade's family
feel that it's inappropriate for her to be in this line of
work and have hopes of her taking off her tool belt one day
when she gets sense. When her company is contracted to complete
remodeling of Ferryenath Cottage Jade is unprepared to find
a renter within. Brian Frazer from America here to work on
his next book. He's looking for peace and quiet, neither Jade
can promise, but they come to a mutual agreement that will
allow Brian to remain in the cottage while Jade carries out
her work. But when a romance develops Jade must chose between
her loyalty to her family, which includes Ian, and her feelings
for a man who has made it clear he is leave when the lease
is up.
Excitement brews when it becomes known that
Brian is Ian's birth father and that he's decided that he's
taking Ian back to California with him. The community ban
together to try to stop Brian but Brian has the money for
the best lawyers in London and the power of his will to succeed
regardless of the cost.
"Finding Ian" has nearly everything
it takes to make the perfect story. Family secrets, mystery
and intrigue, romance…and a bit of sex. This is not a
book that should be read in a rush. While the pages have the
potential to turn quickly as they're read, a reader will want
to slow down a bit to savor the scenery and the relaxing atmosphere
of this setting. Brian's secret is a pivotal element in this
story so it was imperative to Ms Cameron to not let the cat
out of the bag too early in the story and ruin what relationship
Brian manages to develop with his son from the beginning.
Brian is the key character in the story. Jade, while the heroine,
actually plays second fiddle to Brian's quest.
I feel what would have made this a more perfect
story would have been a less domineering male lead role. I
found Brian, at times, to be coercive with Jade, especially
when he wanted sex with her. For all his feelings towards
Ian and letting Ian find his own path in life, I felt that
Brian seemed to take everything that Jade was giving him,
including her virginity, for the sake of his own lust. This
was the main problem I had with Brian's character, as it didn't
fit in with who he was the rest of the time. Jade must take
some blame for her willingness to hop into bed with Brian
as she didn't even consider protection since she was having
sex with a virtual stranger. The issue surrounding Brian and
Ian are real life experiences for many people every day and
I don't believe that a story such as this one should force
the reader to suspend belief for even a moment of unprotected
sex. While the outcome of the book was favorable for all parties,
I still feel that Brian's behavior towards his dominance of
the sex issue kept me from giving this book the higher rating
I believe it has the potential to earn.
"Finding Ian", nonetheless, was a gripping
story, heart wrenching at times, and a highly enjoyable read
save for the comments above. I will certainly recommend it to
anyone I think might enjoy it. "Finding Ian" would
be a good starter book to readers just discovering Cameron's
work, and an excellent accompaniment to an avid fans collection.
